Polling Place Photo Project

November 2, 2006 3:51 AM

The Polling Place Photo Project is an experiment in citizen journalism that intends to collect photographs of every polling place in America next Tuesday.
posted by coudal (19 comments total)

Or a completely pointless exercise in stamp collecting based around the most vacuous buzzword the world has known.
posted by cillit bang at 4:04 AM on November 2, 2006

This is better then no documentation at all
posted by elpapacito at 4:13 AM on November 2, 2006

*whappa whappa whappa*
posted by quonsar at 4:19 AM on November 2, 2006

Hey, now the Video the Vote people can video the people taking the polling place photos (and vice versa and so on) and we'll just have documentation up the wazoo!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:20 AM on November 2, 2006

and they're going to get a release from everyone who has their photo taken, right?
posted by mattholomew at 4:39 AM on November 2, 2006

Ok, I just visited their website and it's even more of a buzzword-laden load of horseshit than I feared. Bravo, empowered citizen journalists documenting the rich tapestry of democracy! I'm sure abused women who don't want their husbands/boyfriends knowing where they are will feel 'empowered' and 'enriched' when you snap their photo.
posted by mattholomew at 4:48 AM on November 2, 2006

what's that guy with a big screwdriver and a pick set doing? wait... he's wearing a DIEBOLD windbreaker!
posted by matteo at 5:00 AM on November 2, 2006

what's that guy with a big screwdriver and a pick set doing? wait... he's wearing a DIEBOLD windbreaker!

And damn! My battery just ran out!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:04 AM on November 2, 2006

Aren't these public places and isn't this journalistic photography? Your ballot is secret, but there's no protected right to enter into the process of voting in private.
posted by VulcanMike at 5:15 AM on November 2, 2006

If cameras are so pointless, why does Department of Defense hate soldiers with cameras so much ?
posted by elpapacito at 5:21 AM on November 2, 2006

what's that guy with a big screwdriver and a pick set doing? wait... he's wearing a DIEBOLD windbreaker!

And damn! My battery just ran out!

April, the lens cap was on the whole time!
posted by rxrfrx at 5:25 AM on November 2, 2006

If I do my own taxes, does that make me a citizen accountant?
posted by rhymer at 5:53 AM on November 2, 2006

If I do my own taxes, does that make me a citizen accountant?

Only if you do it in a hip web 2.0 sort of way, like if you did your taxes by crowd-sourcing each math problem involved or something.
posted by drezdn at 6:06 AM on November 2, 2006

Aren't these public places and isn't this journalistic photography?

Are these public places? Yes. Is this journalistic? Highly debatable. Is it an acceptable thing to do? Emphatically no. Just because something is legal doesn't make it OK. See also: using racial slurs, farting loudly in church.

Also, I'd like to keep my exposure to American-Apparel wearing hipsters to a minimum, thank you very much.
posted by mattholomew at 6:16 AM on November 2, 2006

> there's no protected right to enter into the process of voting in private.

The surveillance society crosses the pond not just with lazy citizen acquiescence but with active citizen participation. I'll surveill* your back, citizen, if you'll surveill mine.

Anyone at the polls who shoves a camera in the fuller face is going to go home with 5 (or more) megapixels worth of the fuller finger. (P.s. does every nasty new social phenomenon come with its own *nasty neologism? Signs point to yes.)
posted by jfuller at 6:24 AM on November 2, 2006

jfuller: so basically if the govt does the panopticon is bad, if the people do the panopticon that is bad ; if nobody gives a shit that is bad as well, because even amateurly organized fraudsters could win.

Oh glorious apathy, so nobody should do anything to prevent voting fraud ? Should I tie a little flag to the fuller finger ?

It is soooo clear a draft is needed, age 18-60, males and females. That should instill some fear of having the warseekers in powers.
posted by elpapacito at 7:27 AM on November 2, 2006

Anyone at the polls who shoves a camera in the fuller face is going to go home with 5 (or more) megapixels worth of the fuller finger.

That's why I keep my camera hidden in my bag but the lens open.

Honestly, if you can tell the difference between someone looking up a number on their stupid camera phone and taking a picture with it, more power to you.
posted by smallerdemon at 9:42 AM on November 2, 2006

I like this idea, and for that find myself in a minority. After a few dubious elections which can be influenced by poor design of ballots, spaces, and ratios of machines to constituents, we should be happy to see documentation of polling places.

And mat-mew, I can overlook the cynical and snarky responses, but this:

I'm sure abused women who don't want their husbands/boyfriends knowing where they are will feel 'empowered' and 'enriched' when you snap their photo.

makes no sense. Or have I overlooked the husbands and boyfriends who are envious of, what, civic participation? Answer if you dare, I am wearing an american apparel shirt.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:27 AM on November 2, 2006

And mat-mew, I can overlook the cynical and snarky responses, but this:

I'm sure abused women who don't want their husbands/boyfriends knowing where they are will feel 'empowered' and 'enriched' when you snap their photo.

makes no sense. Or have I overlooked the husbands and boyfriends who are envious of, what, civic participation? Answer if you dare, I am wearing an american apparel shirt.

First, I'm glad you could get past the cynical and snarky responses. I'm sure it must be a shock to encounter such a thing on MetaFilter.

Second, I'm referring to abused women who are in hiding from abusive stalker husbands/boyfriends and wouldn't appreciate a picture of themselves being plastered on the internet so he can track them down and beat the shit out of them or worse.

Third, it's hypocritical for lefty types to adamantly oppose requiring ID at the polls and then support this unwanted surveillance. Could this not have a 'chilling effect'?
posted by mattholomew at 6:26 AM on November 3, 2006